Features

Pride Season Comes to a Close

July 10, 2013

With St. Pete Pride coming and going at the end of June, we have now finished our “Pride season” in Florida. So many fun events come and go between October and June, but the hottest summer months bring a lull in LGBT pride festivities. With all the events we have to prepare for between October and June, we need all the rest we can get!

pride season

Come Out with Pride starts Florida’s pride season in Orlando the first week in October. Last year’s main event, happening on October 6, was estimated to have brought in 100,000 spectators. In March, Pride South Florida and Pride of the Palm Beaches, in Fort Lauderdale and Lake Worth, respectively, brought in an estimated 25,000 people between the two events. Miami Beach Gay Pride has grown in just a few short years to become one of the largest events in Florida; 80,000 attended this year. Then 70,000 people made it to Orlando for the week of Gay Days the last few days of May and the first few days of June. Wilton Manors’ pride event Stonewall Summer Pride brought out roughly 10,000 revelers. Then, the bookend, St. Pete Pride, brought out as many people as was estimated were in Orlando in October.

St. Pete Pride has been by far the largest Pride event in the state of Florida for many years running, and we were interested in finding out what makes this event so special, and why people love coming to St. Pete Pride. One person I talked to, who came all the way down from Alachua County for the event, said that what keeps her coming each year is the people. “The people are the energy of the event and the energy is always positive,” she said. “It’s not just the people who keep the event running smoothly, either. It’s the people who come, beaming with pride, ready to have a good time. If I knew people weren’t having fun, then I probably wouldn’t have fun, and I wouldn’t want to drive such a long way.” Another person I talked to, from Hernando County, agreed with the sentiment and said the positive and fun nature of the event is what brings her down to St. Petersburg despite the distance.

The 2012-2013 Pride season is going to be remembered for years to come for many reasons. First off, President Obama shed his fears and publicly proclaimed his support for LGBT equality in 2012, which meant a lot; who isn’t going to appreciate the leader of the Free World fighting for you in your corner? Second off, many states codified marriage equality this year, such as Rhode Island, Delaware, and Minnesota, in addition to the states that voted for equality in November. Finally, the momentous Supreme Court decisions gave us all a reason to be proud at the very end of June, which perhaps led to an even more positive feeling in the air in St. Petersburg to close the season.